01/18/2018 DAB Transcript

Today is January 18th.
Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian and it is a pleasure to be here
with you for the next step forward in our week, in our month, in our year, in
the Bible. And to take that next step, we will continue doing what we’ve been
doing this week, we will read from the New Living Translation and we’ll pick up
where we left off yesterday. Today we will read Genesis chapter 37 and chapter
38 in our Old Testament reading.

Commentary:

Okay. So, Jesus is having
another confrontation with the religious leaders, ironically, because he
offered healing to someone. He set a person who was oppressed by demonic
activity free and the people who witnessed this, they’re seeing it for what it
is, a move of God, and they’re asking themselves, could Jesus be the one? But
somehow this is not the question that the Pharisees, the religious leaders, are
asking at all. And when they find out about it they say, no wonder He can cast
out demons, He gets His power from Satan, the prince of demons. And part of
Jesus response is that every sin and blasphemy can be forgiven except blasphemy
against the Holy Spirit, which will never be forgiven. So, I grew up in a
pastor’s home. So, I’ve been around the Bible my whole life and I had heard
this Scripture as a kid and this particular scripture was terrifying to me
because this is the unpardonable sin, as it was called, at least until his
days. But I could never really understand what blasphemy was and especially
blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Like, how could I, as a little kid, know
whether that had happened, but if it had happened, well then, I was doomed. So,
it’s one of the Scriptures that had me down at the altar a lot. Thankfully,
it’s not quite as confusing as I had made it as a kid. However, what Jesus is
saying is cautionary indeed, and we may find that we been way closer to this
than would be comfortable. So, Jesus healed a person who was oppressed by
demonic activity. He set this person free. And in response the Pharisees do not
give glory to God for this freedom or for the good that is happening in the
world that is following Jesus wherever He goes. Instead, they’re saying, His
authority and His power comes from Satan. So, Jesus basically just feeds the
logic back to them, any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A town or
family splintered by feuding will fall apart. And if Satan is casting out Satan,
he’s divided in fighting against himself, his own kingdom won’t survive. And if
I’m empowered by Satan, what about the stuff you’re doing? You’re doing this too.
So, none of what you’re saying is making any sense. A tree is identified by its
fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good, but if the tree is bad its
fruit will be bad. So, He’s basically saying, a person just got set free here,
free from the torment of the devil, and yet you are telling me that by the
devil I have participated in this. And that is blasphemy. You’ve labeled the
work of God as the work of the devil. And as long as you’re believing and
saying that, it’s an unforgivable thing. You’re denying the power of God. You’re
denying God and attributing this to the devil. Okay, so now that we’ve got that
clear, how does that come close to our own lives? Well let’s think about our
own faith journey. We believe what we believe. And then we surround ourselves
with people who believe the same way that we do. And, overtime, we can lock
ourselves in saying, God only works this way, and we are the only ones who
actually have it right. Everybody else, maybe not so much to varying degrees. But
what happens when God starts to move outside of our box? What happens when God
starts to use someone who doesn’t think the same way that we do, maybe doesn’t
believe quite the same way that we do? Well, as Jesus said, any kingdom divided
by civil war is doomed. A town or family splintered by feuding will fall apart.
So, if we find ourselves condemning someone for doing God’s work, and the fruit
bears out, but they just happened to see things a bit different than we do,
then we’re taking on the role of the Pharisee in the story. And if we want to
serve ourselves best and God’s kingdom best, then we would we would do well to
tread lightly, understanding that we don’t have a say in the matter. Nothing is
going to make us the judge. And when we elevate ourselves above God in the
matter, that’s blasphemy. And when we call what God is doing, no matter who he
chooses to do it through or how he chooses to do it, and we call it of the
devil, that’s blasphemy. And, unfortunately, there’s a lot of that flying
around all of the time. It’s backward to what Jesus is teaching us, which is,
that our primary sense of identity isn’t found in anyone else or any set of
beliefs or any traditions or any rituals. It’s found in a direct relationship
with God through Jesus. And if we are walking with God, intimately, then we
won’t find ourselves judging everyone and everything that doesn’t line up with
our box. If our agenda is to bring light and life and good news into this world
and to be true and to endure until the end, whenever and however that is, then
we will be able to recognize what God is doing around us, even if it’s
completely counterintuitive to what we think we know, or as Jesus said, if a
tree is good its fruit will be good. So, we have an invitation here to climb
down off of our soapboxes and walk a little bit more humbly among each other,
because we don’t want to be calling what God is doing something of the devil as
the Pharisees were doing to Jesus.

Prayer:

Father, we enter into that. We
realize that there is much room for humility and grace and we acknowledge that the
grace that You have offered to us is beyond our capacity to offer to anyone
else. And, so, the least that we can do is imitate You, our Father, and offer
mercy and grace everywhere, and to re-center ourselves in You and You alone.
So, come Holy Spirit. We pray in Jesus’ name, we ask. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is the website,
its home base, its where you find out what’s going on around here.

So, from a calendar
perspective, looking forward to February 7th. I’ll be speaking in
Bakersfield California at New Life Church and us. So, that’s a Wednesday evening.
And I’m looking forward to it very much. If you are in the area, hopefully you
come out and say hello. You can get all the details at dailyaudiobible.com in the Events
section.

Also want to remind you of the
Daily Audio Bible shop that’s at dailyaudiobible.com.
There’s a number of resources available there that can help equip you as you
take this journey through the year - journals and writing utensils that we
found to be perfect for this journey. The Promised Land films that we talked
about a couple days ago that allow you to come kind of fly in and look around
at the places where the Scriptures happened, and a number of other resources. So,
check out the Daily Audio Bible shop if you haven’t had a chance.

If you want to partner with
the Daily Audio Bible, then a humble heart of gratitude is extended your way. We
do what we do because we’ve done it together all along. So, thank you. There’s
a link on the homepage. If using the Daily Audio Bible app, you can press the Give
button in the upper right-hand corner or, if you prefer, the mailing address is
PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

And, as always, if you have a
prayer request or comment, 877-942-4253 is the number to dial.

And that’s it for today. I’m
Brian I love you and I’ll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hi family. Happy new year. This is Viola from Maryland. I
hope you are doing well. __ God bless you. It’s a brand-new year as well. The
Lord is working wonders. Family I want to pray for the brother that said he was
struggling with opioids. Brother, I heard your prayer request and I know I haven’t
called in a while but every time I listen and I hear prayer requests I pray
fervently. And I pray that our God this year will deliver you in the name of
Jesus. That you will no longer have any desire even to put any of those prescription
medications, you will be like oil and water. You will no longer mix, in the
name of Jesus. Brother, be strong and know that God is there for you. Now,
Marilyn from Houston I’m praying that our God will touch you and give you an
overhaul, __ , __ , I pray for healing for you in the name of Jesus. Not
because the God of our God because __. And, so I’m praying for you sister that
God would just touch your body, will give you the overhaul that you need, will
give you wisdom, whether you should go for surgery or not in the name of Jesus.
Suzanne from Albuquerque, I’m praying for your nephew and for your niece in law.
I pray in the name of Jesus that both of them will come to know the Lord in
Jesus name. And that whoever is clouding their minds right now, Father I pull
down in the name of Jesus every blinder that the devil has over their hearts
their eyes I pulled down in the name of Jesus. Father I pray that you will set
them free from the clutches of the evil one in Jesus name. Sister, I continue
pray for your loved ones. Family, I want to encourage you to go and sign up for
the More conference. It’s an awesome conference. And I can tell you that life
has changed every time I go to that conference. So, I’m going to encourage you
to go sign up. Go sign up for the More conference. And then I need a prayer
request family. The contract I was working on ended. So, I am looking for a new
job, but I am not looking for just any job. I’m praying that God will provide
the job that He wants for me. In the name of Jesus.

Hi this is Gloria in New York City. It’s Saturday the 13th.
I was listening to the podcast and just got to listen to that thank you poem
that someone was reading and then Vicki your message came on about your son
taking his life. And I just want to pray for you Vicki. I can’t imagine
anything worse. So, I know that so many of us, whether we’re parents are not,
our hearts are just with you and your sons little girl. So, Lord God, thank You
for all the brothers and sisters out there who are tied, whose hearts are tied
in with Vicki’s through You Lord Jesus. Father God we together as a family lift
up our sister and we ask You God just to be with her and us in a very strong,
clear way, Lord God. Give her comfort that we know no one else can give her
this time Father God. Lord God just bring her peace that that rises above all
understanding. Lord, I lift up that little girl to You and I pray Lord that you
would break any curse that the enemy has over that family Lord, that it would
not touch this child, that it would not touch future generations. Lord, our
hearts just go out as we ask You to just surround this woman and this whole
family Lord in this time of mourning. You tell us to rejoice with those who
rejoice and to mourn with those who mourn. Lord God we mourn with our sister
and entrust her into Your hands. In Jesus name. Amen.

Pray with me family. Our God we come to You to pray for
Bayer our brother over in the north-western front. We ask Lord that Your piece,
Your clarity, and Your love of family Lord would come into his life, holy and
truly Lord. That he would abound in joy in the goodness of who You are father.
I pray Your love in the hearts of all his family Father, that You would come
and reconcile all things unto that love Father for the glory of Your kingdom.
It is true that love indeed conquers all. Slave of Jesus, shout out, and Ed in
Oklahoma, Blind Tony, Mark and Mike J. in Australia, and to all my 2010 and
2012 Wild at Heart event brothers, you warriors, you __ to __. Shout out. Love
you guys. Brian, family, love you, great work. China, you’re doing a great work
with Chronological. Really enjoying it. Just…sorry Just I haven’t called as much.
This is Delta Alpha Foxtrot calling from the southern Texas front. God bless
you all.

This is and from Charlotte North Carolina. I wanted to
call about generosity and encourage myself and all of us in the community to be
courageously generous in the coming year, not to be frightened about being
generous, but to test God, to believe God’s promises, which are so overflowing,
about generosity. He promises that if we test Him that He will open the windows
of heaven and if we water we ourselves will be water. He says not to rob Him.
There are so many promises with generosity and we can out give God. I’m
reminding myself and all of us of this. I want to encourage all of us of be
sure to give to our local church, which is just the foundation of our
community, and to give something to the Daily Audio Bible. And others have
called and said, and I want to echo that, $5, $10, $2, as much as you can, do
something, even the cost of a cup of coffee every month, because it costs just
to keep the equipment rolling. We don’t think of those behind the scene things,
keeping the lights on, keeping the equipment going. My husband is a musician
and I know people don’t realize the cost of just him keeping his equipment
going to bless people with his music. So, may we all overflow with generosity
in new and courageous ways and see God do amazing things for us. We ask Him for
that in Jesus name. Amen.

Good morning DABbers. This is Kristin from San Antonio
Texas and on the first-time caller. I’ve been listening on and off for about
two years now and one of my New Year’s resolutions is to listen all the way
through, while taking Brian’s advice, and journaling my day-to-day thoughts and
experiences. I can tell you so far that God is definitely on fire and moving in
my life in so many ways. I want to thank Brian and his family for this resource
and just following God’s plan and bringing about, you know, the Daily Audio Bible
app to so many people out there. It truly been such a blessing. I deftly
believe in the power of prayer and I want to ask for all of you to just pray
for my company, KFW engineers, that God will open doors and opportunities for
our company, its leaders, and employees to just witness a change in KFW’s
culture as a whole. And that it may not be a playground for the enemy to play
in. I pray for more opportunities to just share my faith without fear and lead
more people to Christ. I also want to ask for prayer for myself and that they
may be steadfast in my relationship with our Father and that my alcohol
dependency be completely relieved. I am so thankful for this community and I
thank God for each and every one of you out there listening. May He bless you
and draw you closer to His plan for Your life each and every day. Thanks
everyone. I love you guys. Bye. Have a great day.